A Crater Called Blackrock
by memmamoo
Summary: Izzy comes to meet the love of her life at his castle. However not everything is as it should be. On her unplanned adventure she meets lots of new people who help her to complete her quest.
1. Baby Jim

**Chapter 1 - Baby Jim**

"Where is it?" I wondered aloud to myself, "It must be around here somewhere!"  
I threw down the wretched map and kicked some hard black stone.  
"OWW!" I yelled hopping. harder than I thought.  
"Shhh." I heard a voice come from somewhere. "You'll wake baby Jim!"  
I looked around and saw nothing but a small black hill. I limped up the hill and saw a man standing in front of a volcano. There was a chair and a random wall covered with pictures.  
"What are you doing?" I whispered.  
"I'm babysitting baby Jim." He said it like it should have been obvious.  
"Hang on what?" I whispered, why am I whispering? There is no baby here.  
"Oh for goodness sakes. This is baby Jim, Zoey and Rythian's baby volcano." He turned around, "And I'm Nilesy. Your name is?"  
"Umm ... Izzy."  
"Hi Izzy!" Suddenly he was being friendly.  
"Did you say something about Rythian?" I asked.  
His face drooped a little, "Yes, are you looking for him?"  
"Yes I am! Do you know the way to his castle?" I asked hopefully.  
"Blackrock Stronghold? You don't want to go there."  
"Why not?" This man was confusing.  
He looked at his wrist, "I've got to go, bye" and he left.  
He left me standing there infront of a 'baby' volcano on my own. Why did he have to go so suddenly? Why don't I want to go to Rythian's castle?  
Despite Nilesy warning I decided to carry on looking for the castle.

I walked into a little forest and headed north. I'll have to come across something eventually.  
It was so cold out here, why hadn't I packed a coat or something? After a minute of grumbling to myself I noticed some more of that Blackrock stuff. I walked in the direction of it and discovered a broken wall. I walked cautiously around the wall and stopped in my tracks.  
"Woah." Below me was a massive crater.  
What happened here?  
Wait a second. Nilesy had said Rythian's castle was called Blackrock stronghold because... Rythian's castle was made out of Blackrock... It couldn't be... No...  
"Oh my gosh" I gasped.  
I felt a tear slip down my cheek. Was Rythian dead?  
"RYTHIAN!" I heard a voice scream, it was my voice.  
"RYTHIAN!" I screamed again.  
Rythian had been my best friend before he left. Well I say best friend, I had always loved him. I thought I could tell him how I felt when I came today, but now it is too late. He's dead. There is nothing left of his, every part of him is gone.  
"Rythian..." I whispered desperately for the last time.

I sunk to the floor and didn't move. At all.  
I just kept thinking why did this happen?  
I heard something behind me, but I didn't want to look. Not now. The noise was getting closer.  
"Izzy?" Was that Nilesy? What is he doing here? "Izzy I'm so sorry."  
"Why didn't you tell me what had happened?" I choked out. Ouch, my throat hurts, how long has it been since I've had a drink?  
"I told you not to come. I didn't know how you'd react! I hardly know you." He said desperately.  
"Who did this to Rythian?"  
"I don't know but.. but we could find out?"  
"How are we meant to do that? I am in a random place with no one I know!" I was getting louder, and sorer.  
"You've got me." He said quietly.  
I didn't know what to do so I agreed to try and find out who did this to Rythian with him.  
"But first, I need a drink."  
"Come with me, I know a great place. The Crooked Caber." He smiled as he said this.


	2. The Crooked Caber

**Chapter 2 - The Crooked Caber**

The journey was longer than I thought. Why had I agreed to go somewhere with a strange man? We walked for what felt like miles. He kept talking to me but I wasn't really listening I just thought about Rythian. I knew it was a bad idea him moving away.  
"Izzy!" Nilesy shouted, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You need a boat."  
"Oh right." I croaked, wow my throat had gotten even worse.  
We were standing in front of sea. Nilesy handed me a one person boat.  
"When you're ready." he said, I wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or not.  
I carefully clambered onto the tiny boat and followed Nilesy across the sea. Despite my lack of sailing skills we journeyed to a little island in no time.  
"The Crooked Caber..." Nilesy waved his hand towards a little building.  
This place was small, there was a huge flashing sign reading "CC", the Crooked Caber. Nilesy pulled me through the double doors, inside there were more red chairs and a bar, but with no bar keeper.  
"Umm.. There's no bar keeper..." I said uncertainly.  
"I'll be the bar keeper." Nilesy smiled as he went behind the bar.  
"Ok, what do you have?"  
"Hmmm, zero?" He handed me the yellow drink.  
I cautiously took a sip. Yum, tastes good; I downed the rest.  
"More?" Nilesy asked.  
"No, I'm fine thanks.."  
"So, where are you going to go?" Niesy asked after a few minutes of silence.  
"I don't know. Could I stay with you? I know I only just met you but I have nowhere else to go, I mean Rythian's castle is gone and I can't go back now, its too far and I need to find who blew up Rythian -"  
"I wish you could but I live in my pool stand, I've been staying here." He interrupted me.  
"Here? In the Crooked Caber? Well... Maybe I could stay here too?" I asked hopefully.  
Nilesy nodded and smiled at me.

Nilesy was sleeping downstairs and I slept on the bed behind the bar. But I couldn't sleep, I lay there and thought about everything that had happened. I thought about everything Nilesy had said, how Rythian and Zoey had a baby volcano. Hang on! Who's Zoey? Did Rythian have a girlfriend? Why hadn't I thought of this before?! I had to find put who this Zoey was, so I crept downstairs to where Nilesy was sleeping. I walked forwards but stepped in something wet. I looked around and saw a small pool of squids. What happened down here? I had bigger things on my mind so I carried on walking around the water and shook Nilesy.  
"Nilesy!" I whispered in his ear when he didn't wake up, "Nilesy, wake up!"  
He groaned and turned over.  
"Nilesy!" I said a little louder.  
His eyes flickered open then shut again. I pulled his ear and he shot up.  
"What? What happened?"  
"Nothing. I just need to talk to you." I whispered.  
"What? Izzy? Now?" He grumbled, rubbing his eyes.  
"I was thinking about what you said yesterday and I wanted to know, who's Zoey?"  
"Zoey?" He mumbled, he looked like he was about to fall asleep again.  
"You know, you said baby Jim was Zoey and Rythian's baby volcano!"  
"Oh, Zoey. She lived in the castle with Rythian."  
He kept talking but I couldn't listen anymore. Rythian did have a girlfriend, but it wasn't me. I ran back up the stairs and out of the Crooked Caber. Damn, I forgot there was sea around us.  
"Izzy wait!" Nilesy came running after me. "Don't get upset."  
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him. Tears welled up in my eyes. He pulled me towards his body and into a hug so I let myself cry into his shoulder.

We stood there for a minute, hugging, before I pulled myself away and wiped my sore eyes.  
"Why are you crying?" Nilesy whispered.  
"Rythian... Rythian..." I couldn't speak so I just shook my head.  
"I understand." But he didn't understand; he doesn't know how I felt about Rythian.  
He kept his arm around my waist as we walked back inside. We both sat down on a sofa. He looked like he wanted to say something but didn't speak a word. Tears kept rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably, as we sat there in silence. I leant on his shoulder and fell into a dreamless, yet restless, sleep.

I woke up with my head on Nilesy's lap, him resting his head on the sofa. I gently sat up, trying not to wake him up as I did so. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I looked awful: my eyes were swollen, my hair in rats tails and my face was all red and splotchy. I crept behind the bar and tried to make myself look presentable before Nilesy woke up.  
"Huh, Izzy?" I heard Nilesy grumble as he woke from his slumber.  
Damn, was I too loud?  
"Sorry, did I wake you?" I asked as I came out from behind the bar.  
"No, no." He said quickly. "Umm... How are you this morning?"  
"Great." I smiled sheepishly at him and he smiled a little back. Things couldn't have been more awkward!  
We stood in an awkward silence for a while before Nilesy finally spoke, "Shall we get out of here? We need to begin our hunt." He grinned cheekily.  
"Yeah, lets go! Where to first?" I enthusiastically said.


	3. One Journey Ends, Another Begins

**Chapter 3 - One Journey Ends, Another Begins**

"If we head in this direction, we'll come across something." Nilesy pointed towards a huge hill.  
"Ok." I smiled, but really I didn't want to climb over a hill!  
We got into our boats and took little time to sail across the water. I frowned when we reached the hill but still I climbed it. As we walked slowly up I tried to convince myself that I wasn't trying to impress Nilesy, I just wanted to find who blew up Rythian. I can't say it worked but I had to forget about it.

It took us ages to reach the top of the hill but at least we had made it. Nilesy took my hand as we started to walk down the steep slope. Worrying that I looked pathetic I let go and walked on my own for a bit. I was trying to look good but consequently I wasn't looking where I was going and I lost my balance and fell down. Nilesy rushed to my side and helped me to me feet. From there on I let him hold me. It felt nice him holding my little hand. I found myself not wanting to let go when we got to a less steep part of the hill.  
"Over the hill or through the woods?" Nilesy asked as we came to the edge of a forest.  
"Hmm, hard decision. Another climb or a short walk?" I said sarcastically. "I think woods."  
"Alright then." He laughed; his smile was nice.

We cut diagonally through the forest to make the journey shorter. I kept tripping over things in the dark, sometimes by accident. I think he eventually got the message and held my hand again. When we got out of the forest and back into the light I could see Nilesy was smiling a little to himself. I looked down and smiled, but when I looked back up I saw he was looking worried about something. Was it me? He saw me looking and smiled again, but this time his smile didn't reach his eyes. I looked away, wanting to kick myself. I loosened my grip on his hand and pretended I needed to scratch my arm. We didn't hold hands again.

We walked for a few minutes, me not daring to look at him. Though I could see out of the corner of my eye that he kept glancing at me. Eventually I looked up at him but he had that worried look on his face again.  
"OK, what's up?" I finally said.  
Nilesy looked startled at my outburst, "What?"  
"You've looked really worried since the forest! Have I done something or what?"  
"You've done nothing. Don't worry." He said, but he sounded kind of monotone.  
I sped up a little, not wanting to talk to him. I looked around so I wouldn't have to look him in the eye. But something seemed strange. Have I been here before? This place seemed familiar. I looked back at Nilesy with a questioning look in my eyes, but he wasn't there.  
"Nilesy?" I called out.  
I walked back in the direction we had just came. No Nilesy. We were near a small forest so I cautiously walked in, calling out for Nilesy every few minutes.

After about an hour of this I was starting to get lost so regrettably I decided to carry on out of the forest. I kept thinking I could hear Nilesy behind me but whenever I looked behind I saw no one. I had to keep telling myself not to worry. I walked for a while but noticed everything look familiar again. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realised where I knew this place from. I slowly walked through the trees, hoping I was wrong, but there it was... Blackrock Crater.

I didn't want to go near it, I wanted to turn away but my legs carried me over. I wanted to go back but I couldn't, I just couldn't. I found myself walking slowly down towards the centre of the massive crater. What are you doing? I kept asking myself that question but still I carried on. My vision became blurry because my eyes started to fill with tears, I still didn't stop. I hadn't gone too far when I felt something grab my arm.  
"What are you doing!" Nilesy kept talking but I didn't hear him.  
I stared past him and saw something on the other side of the crater. There was a few things moving around but I couldn't make them out as they were too far away. I kept staring and they became a little clearer. One of them caught my eye, it looked like a dinosaur. Maybe I was hallucinating but I am pretty sure there was a dinosaur standing there. I looked around at the other figures but they had moved away and I couldn't tell what they were anymore.  
"Izzy, snap out of it!" Nilesy suddenly shouted at me.  
His sudden outburst brought me back to life. I grabbed his arm as I realised how tired I was and my legs gave way making me fall to the hard ground. He sat down with me and gently held me against his warm body. My eyes welled up again but I didn't have the energy to wipe them. I leant on Nilesy's shoulder as I fell asleep. The last thing I could remember was feeling his lips rest gently on my head.


	4. Jaffa Factory

**Chapter 4 - Jaffa Factory**

"You can't go!" I screamed.  
"I can, I need my revenge." He said darkly.  
"Rythian no!" I cried in a desperate attempt to make him stay.  
He grabbed my shoulder and looked me straight in the eye, "Please Izzy, I need to do this."  
"But... but I need you!"  
"You don't. You are strong. You'll be fine without me, I promise."  
"You'll forget me! You have to stay, please. I... I... I lo- "  
He rested his finger on my lips.  
"Believe me, I'll never forget you." He spoke quietly.  
My heart beat fast, does he feel what I feel?  
"I mean you're my best friend." He continued, making my heart sink again.  
My vision went blurry as we stood looking at each other. I closed my eyes and we hugged, neither of us wanting to let go.  
He pulled away and whispered, "I'll, miss you."  
Before I could say anything he was walking away. He didn't even look back.  
"Rythian! Rythian, no!" I screamed as I watched him disappear into the distance.

"Izzy, it's OK." I woke up to find Nilesy rocking me and tears pouring down my face.  
"Why didn't I run after him?" I sobbed into his body.  
"After who?" He whispered.  
"Rythian!" I cried harder.  
He just hugged me until I managed to stop crying.

"Right, let's go." I croaked standing up.  
"You sure? We can wait if you want. I mean if this is too much for you maybe we shouldn't do this." He said grabbing hold of my arm.  
"Nilesy I need to do this. I promise I'll be fine." I smiled to show I was alright but really I was dying inside.  
We walked past the crater and didn't look back. We walked through the snowy forest in the direction of baby Jim. The snow crunched under our feet but I took no notice of the cold sharp pain the snow left on my feet and ankles. Stepping over a wilting flower I noticed the snow had died down a little and some blackrock had appeared. We must be near baby Jim. We walked past it and towards a group of grassy hills in hope that we'd come across something.

Our journey lasted almost a whole day before we spotted something in the distance. A huge white building with a face drawn onto it in lights, side by side to what looked like a massive crane. As we got closer I saw a few smaller wooden buildings around it.  
"What is this?" I asked.  
Nilesy laughed, "It's a jaffa factory."  
"Then why is there a face on it?"  
"That's Simon, he owns the factory." He laughed again.  
"And the crane?"  
"Ahh, that's Sipsco, a dirt factory."  
"Right..." This place is weird.  
Taking my hand he said, "Come on, quickly."  
Smiling and laughing as we walked down the hill towards the factory I started to feel happy again, like I how felt when I was with Rythian.

We stopped outside the factory, not sure if we should go in or not. But just as Nilesy was about to open the door we heard voices come from one of the small buildings.  
"Where's my jaffa cakes!?"  
"We haven't got any, I've been looking for diamonds!"  
"I don't care about diamonds! This is a jaffa factory, I want jaffa cakes!"  
"Guys, shut up!"  
I looked up at Nilesy and we both burst out laughing at this little argument. However when we went quiet we noticed the men in the building had gone quiet too.  
"Oops." I whispered and we laughed again.  
"What are you doing here?" One of them asked as they all came outside.  
"Umm, we need your help." I mumbled quietly.  
"Sure!" The ginger one stepped forward, "I'm Simon. That's Lewis and Duncan."  
"Nilesy, and this is Izzy." Nilesy smiled as he spoke my name.

"So what can we help you with?" Simon asked as they led is into the factory.  
"Well, I... I came to visit my f-friend Rythian but when I got here I found his castle had gone and in its place, a massive crater. He had been blown up. I want to find who did this to him and we need your help." It surprised me how hard this was to say.  
"I don't think we can help you." Duncan said getting up from his seat.  
"What are you talking about? They need our help!" Lewis also stood up.  
"Ignore them." Said Simon smiling, "Tell us what we can do."  
"Well, tell us who had something against Rythian. Who might have wanted to blow him and his castle up?" I said leaning forward.  
"Sjin!" Duncan suddenly said.  
"Sjin?" Nilesy asked.  
"He blew up Rythian's castle last time. Maybe he did it again?" Duncan was talking too quick, I didn't trust him.  
"Are you sure it's Sjin?" I asked suspiciously.  
"Of course!" He said but he didn't look me in the eye.  
"Well, maybe we could go find Sjin?" Nilesy obviously couldn't see this man is lying to us.  
"While you're here, we could show you round the factory?" Simon said a little too enthusiastically.

"And this is the penthouse level." Lewis waved his hand around the room.  
Both me and Nilesy wanted to leave but neither of us wanted to say anything. After a long while we followed Lewis down back to the ground level where we met up with Simon and Duncan again.  
"I don't trust them," I whispered to Nilesy, "Did you see how Duncan couldn't look me in the eye, and how Simon immediately went to speak with Duncan when we left?"  
"You're overthinking things Izzy. Chill, they're trying to help us." He tried to hug me but I walked away, hurt.  
It was a dark night and starting to rain but it didn't stop me from walking away from the factory towards Sipsco. If Nilesy wasn't going to help, I'd have to do it alone.


End file.
